You know an outstanding soccer player when you see one: His passes stay on target, and he dances through tiny seams toward the goal. Her shots find the back of the net as the clock winds down. The teams with outstanding players display seamless defense, with goalkeepers that can achieve the rare task of stopping penalties. You can break down the elements of what makes an outstanding player with the help of authoritative observers of the game.
Foundation
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger knows what he is looking for when he tries to build an outstanding player. The leader of the London pro club assesses young players for their potential to be outstanding. "You build a player like you build a house," he said in a video interview with Nike Football. The basement -- the basis of the player -- is technique, he says. Technique refers to skill in the basics of passing, trapping, shooting and heading. The next aspect of the outstanding player is physical gifts, he said -- whether the player in the age range of 14 to 17 is quick enough and strong enough for high-level play.
Tactics
Knowing where to be in relation to teammates -- an aspect of tactics -- also separates the outstanding player from others, Wenger notes. "Sports Illustrated" soccer writer Grant Wahl agrees in slightly different words. In picking the world's best starting lineup, he looked at movement as the key to possession. He agrees that the outstanding players on a team such as Barcelona, including forward Lionel Messi, move as soon as they make a pass, "creating an opportunity for the next one." Outstanding players understand their own movements and see how they fit into the positioning of the whole, he notes.
Talent, Intelligence, Motivation
If you want to be a potentially great soccer player, you need to ask yourself, how much do I want to be successful. Wenger evaluates a player around 18 or 19 years old for whether he has the desire to be outstanding and to put in the work involved. He then looks at the player's talent, intelligence and motivation. "If one of the three is missing, there is no great career," he concludes.
Mental Strength
Arsenal rival Liverpool schools players in its youth academy on added mental factors such as preparation, focus and having fun with the game. Liverpool FC Academy's technical manager, Josep Segura, asks players to bring their all to training, since it is designed to be more demanding than the match to create a player well prepared for competition. During training, Segura asks young players to stay focused to make progress. In the game, a strong mentality helps players step up when challenges occur, such as being down a goal during an away game against a desperate opponent. The Liverpool player must stay calm and composed, make good decisions and have the confidence that he can decide the outcome of a game. Segura also wants his players to make a habit of winning.
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